Making History

By a fluke of dates, I ended up in Cambridge in a big anniversary year--800 years for the University and 50 years for Churchill College. Today, I attended a commemoration of one of these anniversaries: the Lady Mary Soames, Sir Winston's daughter, came to college to plant a tree as her father had done inaugurating the college, his living memorial, 50 years ago to this date. It was obvious that Mary has done some gardening before--after moving a bit of the top soil over the root ball with the same shovel her father had used (well polished for the occasion), Mary tamped down the dirt a bit with her foot.

Lady Mary Soames (left, with shovel) being introduced before planting the commemorative tree (already partially planted, at right)

In fact, Sir Winston has been featuring prominently in my activities this past week. Last Sunday (after playing tourist in Cambridge on Saturday and positing for matriculation photos on Saturday, which I mentioned in my last post) I took a field trip with the MCR to Chartwell, Sir Winston's residence in Kent. After about two hours on a coach driving from Cambridge to slightly east of London, we arrived at Chartwell:

Chartwell, from the back yard

Sir Winston bought Chartwell in 1922, while his wife Clementine was pregnant with Mary. It was--according to the accounts I heard--a quite run down country estate with 80 acres. The Churchills renovated extensively, adding on an east wing and changing the existing building. The east wing includes the lovely dining room with a view of the back yard (and the lands, on a clear day), a sitting room and a bedroom all decorated by Clementine. Sir Winston's library and study, renovated areas from the original house, are wonderful rooms. If I can't have the library from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, I'll settle for something like Sir Winston's library!

another addition: Marycote, a cottage built as a playhouse for Mary. I'm posting in the left window (after a mad dash from setting up the camera!)

Tan and me posting with a bench facing the backyard outside of Chartwell